The present invention relates to a tank or vessel for containing a media bed through which a process flow is directed. More particularly, the present invention relates to a support grid that retains the media bed within the vessel.
Conventional vessels contain a media bed that interacts with a process flow directed through the media bed. Such media beds are used in a variety of processes, including catalytic, molecular sieves, alumina drying, resin ion exchange, carbon filtering, etc. And, various fluids (e.g., oil, gas, water, etc.) may be processed through such a vessel. A typical vessel may be oriented vertically, horizontally, or in other orientations and configurations known to those of ordinary skill in the art. A typical vessel contains a support grid positioned within the vessel to retain the media bed. The support grid includes a filtering surface, which retains the media bed, but allows the process flow there through. In this way, the process flow that exits the vessel has passed through, and, in a typical application, been catalyzed by, the media bed, but the media is retained within the vessel.
Typically, a support grid is located at a tangent line of the vessel, which generally delineates a body of the vessel from a head of the vessel. The support grid retains the media bed in the body of the vessel, leaving the head of the vessel empty below the support grid. The process flow is directed through the media bed and the retaining support grid and into the head of the vessel. From there, the flow is funneled to an outlet that carries the process flow out of the vessel.
Positioning the support grid at the tangent line of a vessel requires a support grid that is adequately reinforced to support the media bed within the body of the vessel. Additionally, with the support grid positioned at the tangent line of the vessel, the volume of the head of the vessel is unusable for containing additional media. A support grid that allows for the use of the volume of the head of the vessel for containing media and withstands a wide range of loads and temperatures without requiring substantial reinforcement at the tangent line would be welcomed by users of such vessels.
According to the present invention, a support grid for use in a vessel containing a media bed includes a filtering surface supporting the media bed and a bottom surface resting on an inner surface of the vessel.
In preferred embodiments, the support grid is comprised of multiple support grid panels coupled together. Each support grid panel is substantially trapezoidal in shape and, when coupled together, the support grid panels form a substantially round support grid. Each panel comprises a plurality of parallel channels running substantially circumferentially around the support grid and supporting a plurality of parallel filter wires running substantially radially. The filter wires are positioned substantially perpendicular to the underlying channels and cooperate to form the filtering surface of the support grid. A plurality of webs of the supporting and underlying channels cooperate to form the bottom surface of the support grid.
In preferred embodiments, the support grid is positioned within the vessel and rests on the inner surface of the head of the vessel. The media bed is supported on top of the support grid. A process flow is directed into the vessel, through the media bed, through the filtering surface of the support grid, and into the channels below. The process flow is then directed circumferentially down the channels and through openings at the ends of the channels. Each opening provides a flow passageway from the channel into a manifold, which is coupled to the filtering surface of the support grid. The manifold then directs the process flow radially to a central collector, which directs the flow out of the vessel.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of preferred embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the invention as presently perceived.